Best movies like The Black Book
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The story of the adventures, in the twilight of the eighteenth century, of a singular couple formed by a little orphan with mysterious origins and his young Italian nurse of a similarly uncertain birth. They lead us in their wake, from Rome to Paris, from Lisbon to London, from Parma to Venice. Always followed in the shadows, for obscure reasons, by a suspicious-looking Calabrian and a troubling cardinal, they make us explore the dark intrigues of the Vatican, the pangs of a fatal passion, a gruesome duel, banter at the court of Versailles and the convulsions of the French Revolution.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 231
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Portugal, France
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags:
Best tv shows and movies like The Black Book (2018):
Similar in 82%
Thirst Street (2017)
Plot Summary:
Gina, an American flight attendant, falls in with a Parisian bartender on a layover only to find herself tangled in a web of deception, delusion and unrequited amour fou.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 591
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: France, USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: mumblecore, visually stunning, psychosexual thriller
Similar in 86%
Soleil battant (2017)
Plot Summary:
Gabriel and Iris head back to their family holiday home in Portugal with their daughters Emma and Zoé, a couple of adorable six-year-old twins, for a vacation. In the heart of the sun-drenched countryside, as the little ones swim and laugh, the couple’s past begins to rear its head. Emma is overwhelmed by a secret that is simply too big for her to keep, and which she has no right to share with her twin sister.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 232
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Portugal
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 86%
The Taste of Things (2023)
Plot Summary:
Set in France in 1889, the film follows the life of Dodin Bouffant as a chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie. They share a long history of gastronomy and love but Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin, so the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 145 min
Plot tags: period drama
Similar in 82%
The Bohemian (2022)
Plot Summary:
The year is 1764. For over a year, Josef has been leading a precarious life in Venice. He hopes to become an opera composer. The city, full of talented and already-established composers, seems closed to him. Looking for work as a violinist, he comes into the orbit of a rich young woman. Thanks to her, he gets the opportunity to play at salons. But his real opportunity arises when he becomes the lover of a libertine marquise. She teaches him worldly manners, rids him of signs of a provincial upbringing and introduces him to a hedonistic existence free from religious intolerance. Thus transformed, Josef gets an incan incredible commission: to write an opera for the San Carlo, Europe's largest theatre.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 448
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Music
Country: Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 88%
Luisa Sanfelice (2004)
Plot Summary:
An 18th-century true story about a rebel and his lover's attempt to overthrow the Italian monarchy.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 100
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 200 min
Plot tags: period drama
Similar in 86%
The Return of Casanova (1992)
Plot Summary:
After many years of rambling across Europe the aging Giacomo Casanova is impoverished. He wants to return to the Republic of Venice but he doesn't dare going there directly because he was a fugitive when he left. While he tries to find a way to get a pardon he meets a young lady named Marcelina. The more he shows his affection, the more ostentatiously she rejects him. Even so he doesn't give up on her because her lover Lorenzo has grave gaming debts. In return for the required money Lorenzo tells Casanova about a looming secret rendezvous with Marcelina. Moreover he lets Casanova take his place. Undercover of the night Casanova finally seduces her. Lorenzo later feels his honor was besmirched and demands satisfaction. Casanova kills him in a duel and then goes home to Venice.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 567
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: costume drama
Similar in 85%
My Golden Days (2015)
Plot Summary:
Paul is preparing to leave Tajikistan, while thinking back on his adolescent years. His childhood, his mother's madness, the parties, the trip to the USSR where he lost his virginity, the friend who betrayed him and the love of his life.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: captivating, sentimental, sincere, suspense, erotic, sexy, stylized, sensual
Similar in 87%
Julia(s) (2022)
Plot Summary:
Paris 2052. Julia, 80 years old, had a fulfilled life. On her birthday, she reflects on the decisions and circumstances that could have led her on different paths. From the age of 17 to this day, her life was full of small but critical moments. Each was a turning point with dramatic consequences. What would have happened if she had forgotten her passport, chosen a different line at the store, driven the scooter this one time...? Is her life a succession of coincidences and accidents or a ready-made path?.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 475
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 88%
Lady Oscar (1979)
Plot Summary:
Oscar François de Jarjayes was born female, but her father insisted she be raised as a boy as he had no sons. She becomes the captain of the guards at Versailles under King Louis XVI and Marie Antonette. Her privileged, noble life comes under fire as she discovers the hard life of the poor people of France. She is caught up in the French Revolution, and must choose between her loyalty and love.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 647
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Japan, France
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: art house
Similar in 77%
Other People's Children (2022)
Plot Summary:
Rachel loves her life, her students, her friends, her ex, her guitar lessons. When she falls in love with Ali, she grows close to his 4-year-old daughter, Leila. She tucks her in, looks after her, and loves her like a mother... which she isn’t. Not yet. Rachel is 40. The desire for a family of her own is growing stronger, and the clock is ticking. Is it too late?.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 86%
Fidelio, Alice's Odyssey (2014)
Plot Summary:
Alice is a sailor. While her partner Félix waits for her on land, she sets off as second mechanic on the Fidelio, an old freighter. On board, she discovers not only that her predecessor has just died, but also that the skipper is none other than the first great love of her life. Alice finds a notebook in her cabin, apparently that of the former mechanic, and on reading its contents – accounts of mechanical problems, sexual conquests and lovelorn emotions – finds, oddly, that they mirror her own concerns. As they make stops at various ports, dealing with life aboard alongside an all-male crew and the swell and pitch of her romantic feelings, the young woman tries to stay on course.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 880
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: captivating, touching, realistic, emotional, psychological, erotic, serious
Similar in 86%
Zama (2017)
Plot Summary:
Based on the novel by Antonio Di Benedetto. Don Diego de Zama, a Spanish officer of the 17th century settled in Asunción, awaits his transfer to Buenos Aires.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Dominican Republic, France, Netherlands, Mexico, Switzerland, USA, Portugal, Lebanon
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: art house, artsy, avant garde, independent film, existential, cult classic
Similar in 77%
Sergio (2020)
Plot Summary:
A sweeping drama set in the chaotic aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, where the life of top UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello hangs in the balance during the most treacherous mission of his career.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: political, psychological thriller, sexy
Similar in 82%
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004)
Plot Summary:
The Bridge of San Luis Rey is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel, first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. It tells the story of several interrelated people who die in the collapse of an Inca rope-fiber suspension bridge in Peru, and the events that lead up to their being on the bridge.[ A friar who has witnessed the tragic accident then goes about inquiring into the lives of the victims, seeking some sort of cosmic answer to the question of why each had to die. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, Spain, France
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative, period drama, disaster movie
Similar in 80%
Lost Illusions (2021)
Plot Summary:
Taking place between the years 1837 and 1843, Balzac’s classic novel focuses on the young poet Lucien de Rubempré, who leaves Angouleme for Paris in the pursuit of becoming an author.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 149 min
Plot tags: art house
Similar in 77%
Casanova, Last Love (2019)
Plot Summary:
The 45-year-old Casanova is in exile in London, where he meets a 25-year-old woman who is unimpressed by his overtures.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 591
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: France, Belgium, USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: touching, suspense, realistic, suspenseful, fairy tale
Similar in 85%
Emma Hamilton (1968)
Plot Summary:
The Making of a Lady: The Story of Lady Hamilton is a 1968 historical drama film directed by Christian-Jaque and starring Michèle Mercier, Richard Johnson and John Mills.[1] It was based on the novel La San-Felice by Alexandre Dumas and depicts the love affair between Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson. It was a co-production between Italy, West Germany, France and the United States.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 146
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Italy, West Germany, France, USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: erotic, independent film
Similar in 83%
The Royal Exchange (2017)
Plot Summary:
In 1721, the Regent of France, wanting to seal the peace with Spain, offers to the Spanish King, a marriage between their respective heirs: Louis XV, age 11, and Maria Anna Victoria, the 4-year-old Spanish infanta. The Regent of France also offers to marry his daughter, Mademoiselle de Montpensier, 12, to the Prince of Asturias, the 14-year-old heir apparent to the Spanish throne. Madrid responds enthusiastically to both proposals, and the ceremonies are promptly organized. The exchange of the princesses is to take place with great pomp on a small island, in the river bordering the two countries. Everything has been done to expect the best of the children, but nothing will proceed as planned.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: France, Belgium, UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, serious, captivating, scenic, thought provoking, art house
Similar in 87%
Passion of Love (1981)
Plot Summary:
In the 1860's, Giorgio (Giraudeau), a young Italian soldier is sent to a remote post, far away from his lover, Clara (Antonelli). He is lodged in the house of the colonel (Girotti). He becames friends with the colonel and the local doctor (Trintignant). Among the inhabitants of the house, there is a strange young woman - Fosca (d'Obici) who is both unattractive and mad. However, she has a passion that Giorgio will have to cope with.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 998
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: novela, offbeat, serious, realistic, witty, sexual, gothic, crying, sexy, period drama
Similar in 84%
Love to Eternity (1972)
Plot Summary:
Liza slowly replaces Melampo, Giorgio's dog. While she accepts it, Giorgio forces her to wear collars and leashes.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 868
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sexy, independent film, grotesque
Similar in 79%
Stealing Heaven (1988)
Plot Summary:
Abelard, a famous teacher of philosophy at the cathedral school of Notre Dame, falls in love with one of his students, Héloïse d'Argenteuil. A sixteen-year old girl raised in a convent, Héloïse has an intellectual curiosity and rebels against the status of women in 12th century Europe. When others begin to suspect their relationship, Heloise's uncle Fulbert and the bishop of Paris work together to put a stop to it. Héloïse becomes pregnant with Abelard's child, and they are married in secret. Abelard struggles for acting against the will of God, yet is unable to escape his love for Heloise.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 818
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, Yugoslavia
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: independent film, erotic, sexy, serious, captivating, realistic, sexual, erotic drama, period drama
Similar in 79%
Ridicule (1996)
Plot Summary:
To get royal backing on a needed drainage project, a poor French lord must learn to play the delicate games of wit at court at Versailles.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, History, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: sexy, humorous, witty, talky, period piece, intelligent, sweet, anthology, anamorphic, historical drama
Similar in 80%
Valmont (1989)
Plot Summary:
Set in Baroque France, a scheming widow and her lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman. The lover, Valmont, bets that he can seduce her, even though she is an honorable woman. If he wins, he can have his lover to do as he will. However, in the process of seducing the married woman, Valmont falls in love. Based on the same novel as "Dangerous Liaisons.".
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France, UK
Duration: 137 min
Plot tags: stylized, period piece, sensual, costume drama, sexy, realistic, erotic, historical drama, independent film, captivating
Similar in 80%
The Lady and the Duke (2001)
Plot Summary:
This breathtaking, visually experimental film from New Wave director Eric Rohmer tells the true story of Grace Dalrymple Elliot (Lucy Russell), a British aristocrat trapped in Paris during the French Revolution. Determined to maintain her stiff upper lip and pampered life despite the upheaval, Grace continues her friendship with the Duke of Orléans (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) while risking her life and liberty to protect a fugitive.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: France, Germany
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, captivating, realistic, disturbing, historical drama, sensitive, clever, serious, contemplative, crying
Similar in 78%
One Nation, One King (2018)
Plot Summary:
Un peuple et son roi crosses the destinies of the men and women of the population, and those of historical figures. Their meeting place is the newly founded National Assembly. At the heart of the story lie the fate of the king and the birth of the French Republic….
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: realistic, factual, tense, captivating, political
Similar in 87%
Farewell, My Queen (2012)
Plot Summary:
A look at the relationship between Marie Antoinette and one of her readers during the final days of the French Revolution.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: France, Spain
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: stylized, serious, realistic, historical drama, erotic, period piece, costume drama, romantic, sexy, lgbt cinema
Similar in 89%
The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
Plot Summary:
In pre-Revolutionary France, a young aristocratic woman left penniless by the political unrest in the country, must avenge her family's fall from grace by scheming to steal a priceless necklace.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: costume drama, period piece, factual, atmospheric, realistic, epic, serious, stylized, historical drama, light
Similar in 89%
Curiosa (2019)
Plot Summary:
A passionate love story set against a backdrop of sexual freedom, loosely based on the relationship between 19th century authors Pierre Loüys and Marie de Régnier.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: sexy, atmospheric, emotional, erotic, romantic, controversial, visual, erotic drama, tragic, nostalgic
Similar in 87%
You and the Night (2013)
Plot Summary:
Around midnight, a young couple and their transvestite maid prepare for an orgy. Their guests will be The Slut, The Star, The Stud and The Teen.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: erotic, humorous, semi serious, realistic, sex comedy, sexual, sexy, queer cinema, weird
Similar in 78%
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Plot Summary:
The retelling of France's iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and ultimately the fall of Versailles.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 119000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA, France, Japan
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: costume drama, period piece, melancholic, visual, visually stunning, factual, colorful, historical drama, realistic, visually appealing